Race and the New Orleans Disaster: Pundits are Twisting the Images on TV to Their Own Advangage

Did race play any part whatsoever in the number of African American evacuees in New Orleans as compared to white evacuees?

It sure did.

Why?

Because according to the U.S. Census Bureau, African Americans make up 67.3% of the population of Orleans parish, which was hard-hit by the hurricane and subsequent flooding and evacuations. Look at the stats yourself.

What would happen if Detroit, Michigan, were evacuated? 81.5% of Detroit residents are African-American. So if Detroit had to be evacuated, we'd expect to see more blacks than whites as evacuees.

Contrast Helena, Montana, where 94.8% of the population is white, while 0.2% of Helena's population is African-American. We'd be seeing more white faces than black ones on CNN if Helena had to be evacuated.

It's all about numbers and how pundits are using them to their own advantage.

The size and racial makeup of the New Orleans community itself directly led to more blacks than whites being seen on TV as Katrina victims.

It's a vicious cycle and a vicious game that politicians and the media are playing and it needs to end. It's not helping the situation.